As shown in FIGS. 6 and 6a, a cartridge of a general color ink-jet printer includes a plurality of ink reservoirs 11 divided by partitions, and includes a plurality of ink supply hole 12 connected to one side of each ink reservoir 11.
A hollowing ceiling member 13 is forcibly inserted in each ink supply hole 12. This ceiling member 13 prevents the ink from leaking between a side wall of the ink supply hole 12 and the ceiling member 13, and also guides ink to flow through a hollowing portion 13a thereof.
A thin-film 14 covering all ceiling member 13 and the hollowing portion 13a is attached on one surface of the cartridge 10, which prevents the ink from leaking through the hollowing member 13a of the ceiling member 13.
If a general ink cartridge 10 formed as described above is provided in a printer, a nozzle 21 provided on the printer pierces the thin-film 14 and is forcibly inserted into the hollowing portion 13a, thereby the ink in an ink reservoir 11 is supplied through the nozzle 21.
If at least one color of the ink is used up, a cartridge 10 is refilled through an injecting hole (not shown) formed on opposite surface of a general supply hole 12. At this time, a user blocks the hollowing portion 13a of the ceiling member 13 by attaching an attachable tape or sticker, etc., on the pierced thin-film 14 so as to prevent the refilling ink from leaking to outside.
However, this prior ink cartridge refilling method has a problem in that the pressure in the cartridge 10 in which the ink is refilled through the injecting hole is greater than the adhesive strength between the thin-film and the tape or sticker, thereby the ink leaks through a gap formed between the thin-film and the tape, which makes hands or clothes of the user to be stained with the ink.
Further, exterior air inflows into the cartridge 10 through a gap formed between the thin-film 14 and the tape, which leads to unstable state in the cartridge 10, thereby the quality of printing deteriorates.